The club was the brainchild of Bill Hickenbottom, who formed the first Wyrley Juniors team in 1982, with the help of Trevor Smith and Maurice Nock. Trevor and Maurice are still actively involved with the club and Bill enjoys the role of Treasurer and is also the President of the club.
The early years saw little success on the field until the Under 12s won the Walsall Junior Youth League title in 1985. At this point, the number of teams had grown to 3. In the early 1990s the club had grown to 6 teams, with the catchment areas being Great Wyrley and Cheslyn Hay. Monthly committee meetings were held at The White Horse pub in Cheslyn Hay and were chaired by the long-term Chairman, Melvin Madeley. The explosion in team numbers and players was ignited by the creation of the clubs boys soccer school in 1994, which was followed in 2000 by the girls soccer school.
The club for many years represented Willenhall in their Twinning arrangements with Drancy, Paris, France with many teams enjoying tournaments organised by their French hosts. In 1996, the club organised the first of its annual tournaments at Cannock Cricket and Hockey Club, attracting 12 teams. The club now hosts a weekend tournament in June each year at Great Wyrley Performing Arts High School, attracting over 168 boys and girls teams. It is recognised as the most organised and the best tournament in the Midlands. In 1997, Melvin Madeley stepped down from his role as Chairman to concentrate upon work commitments and was succeeded by Keith Hardy.
In 1999, the club was recognised for its efforts in the Community and was delighted to receive an Heraldic Shield from Great Wyrley Parish Council. The 1990s onwards has seen tremendous on-field success with many league titles and cups won each year. In the season 2003/2004 alone, the clubs teams won 4 league titles, 4 runners-up, 3 cup winners, 1 Staffs Cup runners-up and for the first time won the Staffs County Cup at Under 16 level. The club is now a registered charity and its aims are to provide football facilities for individuals of all abilities, and now has a massive 45 teams and 2 soccer academies.
The club is31 years old and it is recognised as a force to be reckoned with – on and off the field, with the aim of being the best at everything it does. Future plans include the redevelopment of Harrisons Ground, Hazel Lane, Great Wyrley where a 25 year lease is now in place.
We now have 42 teams, including 3 adult men’s teams, a Ladies team, a Veterans team, an academy for 4 to 7 year olds, Saturday mornings 10.00 until 11.15 at Cheslyn Hay High School and a Girls only Academy for 5 to 9 year olds, 6.00 until 7.00, Tuesday evenings at Landywood Primary School; 9 girls teams and 28 boys teams! It also holds a Goalkeeper centre every Wednesday 6.00 til 7.00 at Cheslyn Hay astro turf. The Club holds it’s Committee meetings at our Long Lane clubhouse every third Monday of the month at 8.00 – everyone is welcome.
A special mention must be given to our chairman Keith Hardy who has driven the club single handedly to where it is today. It's safe to say without him there is no way the club would be so successful and provide opportunities for over 500 kids locally to play the game! Keith has also done an incredible amount for girls football in the area
The vision of Sign4Sport is to provide communication and understanding for people with hearing difficulties in the world of football. The aim is to make them a part of the sporting world so they may showcase their talents and enjoy the beautiful game.
All our specialist staff are highly trained and have vast knowledge and experience using BSL (British Sign Language). BSL is the most widely used form of sign language in Britain, making it paramount to the deaf community and the work we do.
What makes Sign4Sport unique is that the communicators are also well read in football and have a solid understanding of the specialist terminology which is associated with the game. The interpreters are highly experienced in combining “football speak” and BSL, making them an invaluable part of any successful and enjoyable session.
We are based in Manchester and have easy access to most areas and will commute to such events when necessary. We offer a flexible service, providing translation and support at a wide variety of events such as; football training sessions, tournaments, personal one to one meeting with coaches/footballers and any other football themed events.
We have a small team of communicators who all have great experience of interpreting for many different occasions. Our kind and patient staff understand the difficulties people who are hard of hearing have to go through, but most importantly have a passion for football. We treat all clients as individuals, and will spend much time with you assessing exactly what you require; hence we can tailor to your needs and provide you with the best suited interpreter.
Many football clubs have already benefited from our services and have praised us on providing a valuable service to the deaf community. Speaking, hearing and understanding is something that can be so easily taken for granted, and for people who are hard of hearing too often they have to miss out on the fun things we all take for granted. Here at Sign4Sport we believe this shouldn’t be the case, and we strive to ensure anyone who is hard of hearing should not miss out and should have the same opportunities as everyone else.